Brandon Moreno tried to base his fighting style off iconic ‘Tekken’ character

UFC Mexico's Brandon Moreno started training MMA because he loved the Tekken video games.

Perry Nelson-Imagn Images

Brandon Moreno may not have been a UFC fighter if it weren't for 'Eddie Gordo'.

The two-time UFC Flyweight Champion and headliner of this evening's UFC Mexico has a unique backstory behind how he found fighting, one that involves a popular fighting game, "The Assassin Baby" played as a kid.

A well-rounded contender seemingly only getting better in the flyweight division, Brandon Moreno says he was inspired by the 'Tekken' video games to pursue martial arts in the first place.

When he was in middle school, Moreno had asked his mother to enroll him at a gym nearby but not just any gym...

READ MORE: UFC Mexico: Moreno vs. Erceg how to watch, bout order, odds

Perry Nelson-Imagn Images

'Tekken' fan Brandon Moreno wanted to train Capoeira at first

Moreno wanted to fight just like his favorite character Eddie Gordo.

"I love that game [Tekken]. That was part of my childhood," Moreno said on the Overdogs Podcast.

"Eddie [Gordo], he was a Capoeira guy," Moreno explained. "I was trying to do that, just for that."

With his flashy Capoeira style and spamming kick attacks, Eddie Gordo is one of the most challenging (and annoying) opponents to play against in the Tekken franchise.

Brazilian middleweight Michel Pereira is the closest fighter to Eddie Gordo there is in the UFC today, doing backflips and utilizing his unpredictability and athleticism to create offensive openings.

Brandon Moreno's MMA Origins

Moreno's fighting style is far more different. He has an excellent ground game and a different arsenal of strikes on the feet. In his last performance at UFC Edmonton in November, he boxed up Amir Albazi.

"My mom never find a good place in Tijuana to do Capoeira," Moreno continued. "But close to my home was an MMA gym in that time. The gym was not like MMA, was like Vale Tudo From Brazil.

"The billboard [said] wrestling, kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu... in that moment, I don't know nothing about that. So my mom got the number, the info, and next Monday, I start with the classes."

Perry Nelson-Imagn Images

It wasn't long until Brandon Moreno found a love for the fight game, realizing he could make a career out of it someday.

"I just start to get more and more love from the sport. At some point, I was more interested to be an MMA fighter than like, I don't know, like a lawyer or nutritionist."

Brandon Moreno fun facts:

-No one did sports in his family

-Never been in any bar or street fights

-His parents own a big piñata company

-He wanted to be a lawyer or magician

-He got into fighting simply because he liked Eddie on Tekken#UFCMexico 🇲🇽 pic.twitter.com/jSmx3tgQo1

— MacMally 🍀 (@MacMallyMMA) March 29, 2025

Brandon Moreno became the first Mexican-born champion in UFC history in 2021 when he dethroned Deiveson Figueiredo. Moreno is currently ranked #2 in the flyweight division, having lost to #1 contender Brandon Royval and the champion Alexandre Pantoja.

READ MORE: UFC Fight Night Mexico: Brandon Moreno vs. Steve Erceg full card picks & predictions

Moreno looks to re-enter title discussions with a win over former title challenger Steve Erceg on Saturday.

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